Cultivator



April 17, 1956 A STRECKER 2,741,969

CULTIVATOR Filed July 25, 1952 MM wi /ii" HTTOR/VEV United States Patent O CULTIVATOR Arthur G. Strecker, Spokane, Wash. Application July 25, 1952, Serial No. 300,837 1 Claim. (Cl. 97-69) This invention is an improved cultivator.

One object of the invention lies in the provision of a cultivator which has an exceptionally thin limber cutting blade that precludes the necessity of much energy being expended to operate the cultivator.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of legs or supports for the cutter blade adapted to permit use of a thin limber blade.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a shuttle hoe adapted to use an inexpensive blade which when worn may be discarded and another blade applied in its stead.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a shuffle hoe which comprises a minimum number of parts which may be assembled with facility and is therefore comparatively inexpensive to manufacture, yet one that is not liable to get out of working condition.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the head of a shuffle hoe embodying the preferred form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the hoe shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross section showing the blade fastening means;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the blade fastening means;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan View showing a modified means of spreading the blade supports;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a still further modified shufile hoe head; and

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the head shown in Figure 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that the present invention has the usual handle 10 which is provided with diametrically opposed faces 11 at the lower end thereof. Longitudinally spaced parallel upper and lower bolt holes 12 are formed through the handle, for the purpose hereinafter described, at right angles to the faces 11.

Levers 13, constituting cutting blade supports have upper and lower end portions 14 and 15. The upper ends are flat transversely and straight longitudinally and are adapted to lie one on either side of the handle 19 in face to face engagement with faces 11. Holes 16 are formed in the upper portions 14 of the levers 13 and are aligned with the lower bolt hole 12 and a bolt 17 is extended therethrough and secured by a tightening nut 18. Aligned with the upper hole 12 I have provided transversely disposed slots 19 in the upper ends 14 and a clamping bolt 20 extends through these slots and companion hole 12 to permit vertical tilting of the levers 13 with respect to the handle 10. A winged clamping nut 22 supplies the ice means for drawing the portions 14 face engagement with faces 11.

The lower end portions 15 of levers 13 constitute legs which are spaced blade supports and are curved longitudinally to define substantially a semi-circle when viewed inplan. Transversely, the legs are arcuate to produce rigidity therein and thus prevent their bending under strain. The free ends of the legs 15 have angled faces 23 inwardly into faceto which are arcuate transversely and thus when the handleis disposed at an upward working angle toward its free end, the faces 23 are positioned substantially horizontal.

Legs 15 are united to the upper end portions 14 by a reverse curved portion 24 on each leg and which acts as a fulcrum over which the levers are tilted when winged clamping nut 22 is tightened. This of course causes the free ends of legs 15 to spread. Since the levers are flat from their upper ends to a point substantially midway of their lengths, they possess a limited amount of flexibility in the upper end portion 14 and a continuous spreading tension may be apparent at the free ends of the legs 15.

A cutting blade 25, preferably formed of a thin strip of laminated metal, has eyes 26, one in each end portion. These eyes are adapted to hook over fingers 27 carried by the legs 15 on their outer side walls and thus dispose the blade to pass over the angle faces 23 which determine the angle at which the blade 25 will be disposed relative to the legs 15. To prevent the eyes from accidently be coming disengaged from the fingers 27, each finger has an upstanding lip 27 which prevents outward movement of the eye 26 longitudinally on the finger 27.

The blade 25 may be made from a single thickness of thin limber metal sharpened on its front and rear edges. However, to eliminate the necessity of successive sharpenings the blade is preferably constructed of limber laminated metal having an extremely thin wear resistant metal center layer bonded between two strips of softer metal. The outer strips would thus wear first and leave the thin center layer which would provide a sharp cutting edge at all times.

It is conceivable that a fine strong wire could be substituted for the blade and perhaps be just as elfective for cultivating. It is not my intention to unnecessarily limit my invention and I therefore use the term blade as a generic term to describe a cutting element and wish to 'be limited only as required by the prior art and the appended claim.

The transverse arc of legs 15 surface against the blade possibility of bending the it to break.

In Figure 5 I have shown a modified method of spreading the legs 15 which omits the fulcrum 24 and instead includes a spreader 28 comprising right and left hand threaded bolts 29 and 30 and a cooperating nut 31 which when rotated in one direction feeds both bolts outwardly thus spreading the legs 15. Opposite rotation naturally reverses the outward movement.

Figures 6 and 7 reveal a further modified form in which the blade is adjustable as to relative angle to the handle 16 by pivoting the head 32 about bolt 33 and securing the angle by means of clamping nuts 34 threaded on bolt 35' and disposed one on each side of an eye 37 carried by the head. The bolt passes through the eye and is pivotally secured to the handle by means of a clamping band 36 which encircles the handle 10.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A shuttle hoe comprising an elongated handle having diametrically opposed faces on its lower end portion, longitudinally spaced parallel upper and lower bolt holes through the handle at right angles to said faces and openalso presents an arcuate 25' and therefore eliminates the blade too sharply and causing ing therein, spaced levers constituting supports and having laterally opposed longitudinally curved transversely arcuate legs on their forward ends, each said leg being a continuation of said lever and united therewith by a reverse curve constituting-a fulcrum substantially rnidway of the length of said lever, aligned holes in said fulcrums and communicating with said lower bolt hole, a securing bolt extending through said lower bolt hole and aligned holes and having a tightening nut thereon, transversely extending slots in the rear ends of said levers and cornrnunicating with said upper bolt hole, a clamping bolt extending through said slots and upper bolt hole, a clamping wing nut on said bolt for drawing the upper ends of said levers toward said faces and thereby spreading said legs over said fulcrums, angled faces on the lower ends of said legs, securing fingers on the outer side walls of said legs adjacent to said angled faces, and a thin normally lirnber cutting blade having eyes at each end cooperating with said fingers to secure said blade stretched taut between said legs and over said angled faces.

References Cited in: the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lane Dec. 16, Silvera Oct. 18, Baker Mar. 23, Madson May 8, Arvedson Aug. 23, Goddard Nov. 1, Nedbal Apr. 14, Gascoigne Apr. 2,

FOREIGN PATENTS Sweden Apr. 5, Sweden Mar. 23, Sweden May 4, Germany Sept. 24, Germany Oct. 11, Austria Oct. 11, 

